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Smoke
Smoke Chapter 1 Nestled in the flames, the eggs shuddered. The one hatchling raised his dark eyes towards his mother. Her mud-brown feathers were drying, her expression hardening. "Sharp, that burnt-hearted idiot of a bird!" Mars hissed, her talons clenching. "Ok Mars, calm..." "Shut up Hyperbole! We need to scheme our revenge! Hehe..." The snow-specked Phoenix rolled her green eyes. She tried to ease the anger but Mars continued roaring out revenge plots. "Ok, I don't feel sorry at all. I say we burn this place to ashes and burn the ashes before burning the ashes' ashes," Mars laughed manically. Hyperbole wondered how pain and a traitor had turned sweet, trusting Mars into I-WILL-MURDER-YOU-IF-YOU-BETRAY-ME Mars. She fluffed her royal purple feathers up to stop the chill spreading. That chill wasn't caused by the weather. There wasn't even weather in this place. However, she had noticed the addition of the moon and a slight gravelly feeling under her talons. This world seemed to become more like Earth the more betrayed they got. That probably wasn't true though. Hyperbole pondered over that for a while. Mars plotted against Sharp. Watching the whole time, Mercury blinked his deep, chocolate eyes. His oak feathers were fluffy like all chicks. His beak hadn't hooked yet. His leg plumage was the colour of the bleak, grey fog in the distance. He had the weird, bumpy shape on his wings too. His talons were a bit too big for him. Stumbling, he went over to the purple one. He tripped over the invisible rocks and fell onto her. Instantly, she jumped back into a battle position, feathers pointing up. Realising it was him, she slowly settled into a normal stand. "Mercury, go check on your siblings," she ordered softly. Mercury had a feeling that she only made the words kind to be nice. She'd be horrible if he didn't. He hopped off to the Fire Nest. His sibling's eggs lay still now. Why was he hatched but they weren't? Maybe they were slower? Or dead... Phoenix knowledge whispered. He shuddered at the thought of them having no life. They hadn't had any life yet so it wasn't fair. Give them a year or two, at least. His feathers shone copper in the hypnotising flames. Fire: it was warm, playful and calming. The bouncing flames charmed as he moved side by side in their rhythm. Fire... It was a great thing. Something told him they could use it to burn things for 'humans', whatever they were, or for heat. He could believe the second one. His plumage fluttered from the roaring. It didn't run through his veins like the birds of this type, but it was attracting him. He knew moths enjoyed the light. That meant he was a moth to a fire! He smiled at this. Sharp. The word cut through his mind. What did it mean? Icy blue filled his mind, followed by grey. Did that mean something? It didn't feel right. There was something wrong about this 'Sharp'. Something in his memory he couldn't remember. Why weren't young memories developed enough at this stage? Some phoenixes were able to remember time in the egg. Sighing, Mercury turned his eyes back onto the flames. They were lovely things. Chapter 2 Hyperbole watched the hatchling staring into the fire. What dragged him in? Her senses twitched. A ripple ran from the top of her wings to their feather-tips. Greatness. The word flared through her mind. Mercury had a fate. One that would lead to greatness. There was a cost. Agony replaced the pleasant sensation. Blood shed would come with the glory. Healthy feathers would fall. Eyes would fill with fear before glazing over, never to see again. Shudders ran through her bones. The greatness was far. "Where am I?" A refined sound filled the air. Everyone turned. The golden feathers, orange beak, brown eyes. "Hera!" Mars snarled. "Oh, these scum, reside here!" the queen spat. The brown Phoenix seemed amused. She went up to the much taller queen. "You died," she laughed. Hera snorted,"Pfff, no!" "I can see the marks right there." Mars pointed at deep wounds in her neck. They were still deep red, showing how recent they were. Hyperbole wondered who had gotten close enough to the queen to inflict the slashes. They were certainly skilled; there was no signs of struggle and were almost perfectly straight. "Anyway, I have to rule this waste!" Hera groaned,"Couldn't I rule Aether?" Hyperbole was enraged by this comment,"You? Rule? No! We've lived here for months and know more! You wouldn't survive a year!" "You were queen! Not anymore!" Mars snapped,"Sorry, but that means your rule is at an end. You can deal with the fact we are better than you. Tell me one thing that happened here! You don't know any of us! Do you know Clear? Mercury? Do you know why we can't trust Sharp?" The dead queen narrowed her bright brown eyes. She raised her head. The coins she usually wore were gone. She was skinnier too, as if she had fell upon hard times. Insanity seemed to rest in the corner of her eyes. Hyperbole could feel it all. Aph... The name of the killer had almost revealed itself. Pink. What did it mean? "You don't. This is my revenge, you sit in puddles of regret. I was a great soldier," Mars sung,"But you let that go for a mistake. You could have lived. What happened to your big hoard of useless pretty toys." Mars? Singing? It was more of a hateful song, but she singing nonetheless. Was she inviting Hera to a sing off? Golden feathers clearly agreed because notes slid out of the tangerine beak. "I've always had more than you, I've been more popular than you! I had it all," she sung shakily. "Had. Now it belongs to your successor. Who did you choose? Probably Corvus, that nephew of yours, to keep the the corruption from falling loose. Look at the floor, how it shines more. It's near me!" "Oh really? What about mine? Sun-bright, like moonlight, Neon, sunset skyline!" "I had crowns, necklaces, jewels." "I didn't lie, we weren't fools. I'm going to take my chance Watch my striking dance. You're in a daze, With your royal craze. Sun-bright, like moonlight, Neon, sunset skyline." "The humans liked me!" "Not enough to give you extra guards." "That matters because?" "You're dead," Mars concluded. She swept her wings open, giving an order to leave. Hera muttered something about disobeying to giving orders. The sunny Phoenix burst off into the empty sky. Hyperbole felt Mercury press against her leg. "W-W-Who that?" he stammered, scared. "No one." Hyperbole was glad he didn't have the Magic Phoenix sense to know a lie. He'd know so much more. Maybe a name. Thank sky he didn't. Chapter 3 Mars felt mad. How dare Hera suggest she could rule them? She trembled. Sharp... Hera... They all wanted to betray her. How she longed to drag her claws along their throats. All this was Hera's fault. Sharp never would have gotten his claws on her heart if she hadn't. Mercury. He was next to the fire all day. Something drew him there. She might have to rename him Moth Drawn to Fire at this rate. Amusement rumbled in her neck. One good thing had come out of this all. Moving her eyes, she looked at the nest. There were two more eggs. Athena and Amnesia. She would raise them better than Sharp ever could. She'd do it with Hyperbole. She felt a twinge of pain. Emotional pain. Would Hyperbole love her? Mars had been to trusting. She'd let an enemy use her. But I can trust her. Hyperbole was the most reliable phoenix she'd ever met. Thank Fate that she'd found her. There was Clear too. Speaking of Clear, where was he? She hadn't see the Phoenix in a while. She reckoned she could find him at the mirrors. "Hyperbole I'm going to find Clear!" she announced. "Ok. Should I come?" Yes, her heart yelled. "Take care of Mercury and the eggs, please." Swiftly, Mars swished open her wings. Her talons thudded against the ground until she was fast enough to take off. Air whistled by her. Chilling fog rolled around the surroundings. It had been abundant since Sharp's reveal. It glowed an eerie blue in places. She realised she wouldn't see unless she flew low. Shivering, she cruised through the mist. That's when the noises started. They howled. It was quite distorted. Then, there was a clear screech. Definitely a phoenix. Is that Sharp? I'll rip his wings! Gliding, Mars looked around nervously. She only beat her wings occasionally. What if she was caught? There was more than one. The fog thickened. She worried for Clear. Where was he? If he was out there, he would be in danger. She curved her claws in a battle position, like Skadi had taught her. It would mean she could rapidly slice an attacker while flying. It was awkward to fly on, but Mars knew she had to be ready. Something rustled beside her. Shrieking, a brilliant yellow phoenix dived out of the foggy surroundings at Mars. She waved her grey talons back and forth. Her green eyes glared at her. "For Sharp!" the bird yelled. Thinking quick, Mars swooped down. Sharp had friends! She'd deal with this. She closed her wings and twisted onto her back. Making her wings spread out, she swatted the phoenix's stomach with her claws. Her attacker hissed with pain, shutting her eyes. Mars had already placed herself above her. The golden bird glanced around. Rising slightly, she angled herself into an arrow. Mars plunged beak first into her back. The phoenix automatically slammed open her wings, plunging to the ground. Mars followed at a steadier pace. She heard the thud. Landing, Mars checked the body. Breathing. The Light Phoenix looked up with exhausted eyes. As she spoke, it came out in rattles. She didn't have long. "I should... Have known... It would... Come to this..." Mars stared confused. She sounded regretful. Had she fallen for Sharp too? "Sharp... Ambitious... Cruel... I'm... Idiot..." "You wouldn't be the only one," Mars muttered grimly. "Tell... Cricket... Take... Kids... Far... From... Sharp," determination shone in her eyes,"Tell him Lantern Glowing in Trees said... Tell him the claw is with him... Hermes... Ares... Go Far... Kill Sharp... Live..." A shimmer sparkled in her eyes as she stopped moving. It was hope. Something lit up in Mars. This was another reason to kill Sharp. He hadn't just ruined her life; he'd ruined others'. Guilt temporarily surrounded this flame, but was replaced with a goal. If I can find Cricket, Hermes and Aries, we could get rid of Sharp. Chapter 4 Anxiously, Hyperbole stared at the roaring fog. Screeching filled her hearing. Something hit the ground and there was silence. Please not Mars, please. She worried. What if she didn't come back? What if she'd found Sharp? "Mum, where's Mars?" Mercury asked, still facing the flames. "I'm not your mu-" Hyperbole blinked,"M-M-Mars is!" I wish we both were. I can't. She won't trust anyone after Sharp. Sharp had come in at the wrong moment. Or had Hyperbole been too late? She should have realised she loved her before Sharp got his disgusting claws around Mars. "I know. You're going to be my mum. I can tell. I bet you're better than my dad since he's not here," he turned his adoring eyes towards him. Hyperbole thought she was sinking into his mud-like eyes. She needed to talk to Mars about her parents. How had he got those intense eyes? Her spine felt odd and she knew it wasn't her powers. Ruffling her feathers, she strode away. Sometimes it was annoying how phoenixes knew too much. She got close to the fog. The way her head-feathers shook told her it wasn't natural. When she waved her talon through it, she recognised it. Only one type of phoenix could create it. A Magic Phoenix. Is there another one here? After the kings and queens tried to wipe us out, I thought they'd be in jails or hiding. Yet one is here... A crack echoed in her ear. She whipped around. Nothing there. What could possib- The eggs! Bursting into flight, she swooped over to the fire. The striped egg was hatching. Panicking, Hyperbole glanced around. How do you raise a chick? That panic got worse when the stormy egg twitched. No! No, no, no! -~- "What the sky?" Mars gasped. Instantly, she spotted the glass at her talons. Clear sobbed into his wings. Mars knew exactly what had happened. That dark-hearted winged beast! How could he? It was Valley's mirror. Lily of the Valley-who preferred to be called Valley- had been Clear's mate. Mars remembered her lavender feathers and large wings. She had blue eyes brighter than Clear's that radiated warmth. "I'm so sorry!" "It's not your fault," Clear looked up, feathers wet,"We need to stop Sharp, before this happens again." His strong, steely gaze told her Clear wasn't going to let this go without a literal fight. He'd die again. "Agreed." -~- "Mum?" the chick squeak. "I'm not you're mum!" Hyperbole yelled. Mercury stared as the magic phoenix failed taking care of his younger siblings. Athena and Amnesia were a handful. The middle-child had brown feathers and grey stripes. Her eyes were rock-grey and she was quite tall. Amnesia was grey with darker, thunderbolt-shaped markings on his neck. His sparkly-emerald eyes gave off a lot of energy. After Hyperbole vanished into smoke, he sighed. This was going to be painful. If they grew up being idiots, he was going to blame her. Where was Mars? She should hurry up. Athena and Amnesia's heads swivelled round. They flapped up and down. Afterwards, they stumbled around. The magic phoenix randomly poofed back into existence. She muttered something about them finally calming down. "Hyperbole!" Copper feather shone as Mars landed. An unfamiliar white phoenix stopped next to her. He seemed nervous but resolute, his thoughts stuck on one thing. Mercury wondered what it was, and who this phoenix was. The sky-eyed bird fixed his eyes on him. "Is this you and Sharp's kid?" he asked. Mars paused. She seemed uncomfortable at the question. Athena and Amnesia placed themselves at this side. "I'm his sister!" Athena chirped. Sombrely, his mother dipped her head. She gave a confirming reply. The stranger shot back while staying in the same place. His eyes appeared crueler, no longer calm. His talons twitched. He turned his head to Mars. "How could you?" he had wide eyes. "Clear, it was before..." "We should kill them. Now." Icy claws crawled up Mercury's spine. His instincts were telling him 'kill' wasn't a good word. -~- Mars was horrified at Clear's decision. Just because they were the children of a monster didn't mean they weren't also hers. "That's stupid!" she spat. "They're his!" he retorted. "They're mine an- mine!" She'd almost slipped out who she wanted to raise them with. If Clear knew, would he attack Hyperbole? The spotted phoenix didn't have a clue what she was doing. She kept swinging her head round from between her, Clear and the chicks. Clear continued,"They'll only end up like him. They'll be deceiving beasts. They'll have his evil inside. They'll slaughter us! We don't need four Sharps!" Mars heard a shriek. Whipping around, she saw her children being picked up by massive claws. A pale blue phoenix streaked across the air. They carried the squealing young bird away. Leaping up, Mars tried to follow. "No!" Clear yelled. He shoved himself into her and they tumbled into the ground. "You idiot!" Mars shouted. She struggled. Clear had grown stronger. His powerful grip prevented her from leaving. Hyperbole was so confused. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her head in her wings. "They're gone..." Clear moved away at Hyperbole's words. Mars was about to attack him. "That was my sister." Chapter 5 Mercury was clueless about all of this. His siblings squealed and wriggled. The blue thing that had taken them appeared very sure where she was going. They were surrounded by fog, a cold, endless sea of mist. Now he thought about it, the blue thing looked like Hyperbole. She must be a Magic Phoenix! Magic Phoenixes meant Hyperbole, so they could trust this bird. "Stop, she's a Magic Phoenix. Hyperbole is too! We can believe her!" he told his siblings. They stared at him, falling silent. Athena paused then nodded. Amnesia stopped moving but didn't even blink. I'm such a great older brother. "Magic Phoenix, where are we going?" For once, the older bird noticed them. She shot a quick glance before viewing her surroundings. "To a great place, it's far." That answer satisfied him. He fell asleep. -~- "Wake up!" Athena hissed. Blinking, Mercury checked his sight. They were close to the ground. There were triangle things. Swiftly, Athena told him they were tents and they were in a camp. Magic Phoenix swooped low, placing them down before landing. Mercury turned his head in wonder. There were birds here. Was this a Phoenix kingdom? "Be quiet," Magic Phoenix waved a wing at them. She hopped over to the biggest tent, which was the only one that wasn't a dusty-white cloth. Instead, a deep-red blanket with a golden crown on top made this tent. Who could live here? Curiously, a Phoenix circled them. His talons cluttered slightly as he paced around. He was light yellow with grey stripes. His dull-grey eyes were questioning. "Are you joining Sharp?" he finally spoke. Mercury noted a grey V on his forehead. That would help him remember him. Otherwise, he had quite a few scars on his body. Did he fight? Was he a hero? Maybe he would teach them things. To the matter though. "Sharp? Why does everyone mention it but not tell me what it is?" Mercury answered. "Who," V-forehead replied,"And he's the boss here. You're awfully young. Why are you here? Who are you?" "Oh, that nice Magic Phoenix took us here. I'm Mercury." "You have no idea what you're getting into." With that, V-forehead shot off. Mercury saw that Amnesia was talking to some of the other birds. They were enjoying talking to him. Good for him. Athena was gazing around, trying to work out what was going on. "This is them?" a voice asked. "Yes," Magic Phoenix answered. "He's getting to know the locals." In perfect synchrony, Mercury and Athena turned. A powerful, stormy Phoenix was watching Amnesia. They looked alike! Why was that? Family? Magic Phoenix beckoned them over. Mercury stumbled towards them. The Storm Phoenix, his sources told him, was amused. "I'm Sharp Claws of a Hawk. Hello children." "We're your children? Makes sense. Why do you have a long name?" Athena butted in,"Because he's a grown Phoenix. Your name gets longer as you grow. Mars told me so." "Really? Cool!" "Father." Amnesia dipped his head respectfully. Mercury was confused. Did they know each other? "Amnesia. You've been doing well. Good to be able to see you in person," Sharp Claws of a Hawk smiled. Something about his chilling blue eyes reminded him of... This was the Sharp! "You're Sharp!" Mercury gasped, "H-H-How do you know my brother?" Magic Phoenix frowned. Athena was confused. Amnesia rolled his eyes. Sharp's grin fell. "I am Sharp. Your brother has been training with my soldiers for ages. Pff!" "Really? Can I?" Mercury felt a twinge of jealousy. His brother had known their father for ages. This general or leader was their dad, training Amnesia, and he'd never told them. "Why do you think I brought you here? I got Mist to take you." The Magic Phoenix flapped her wings. Sharp glared at her. She went back into her non-moving stance. Mist barely even breathed. "Here's my first part of the training. It will be fun." Joy swept through the young chick. His father teaching him! "Cricket Shining and Singing, report!" he yelled. Mercury admired the way his father's voice filled the camp. V-forehead joined them. He bowed before quickly going through what he had to say. "No sign of Lantern's-" his voice choked,"killers. They have got away undetected. The mist hasn't had any disturbance aside from the battle." "Pathetic, you keep underperforming," Sharp spat. This is why I recall him, Mercury realised, it's the anger from when I was born. "Come." Everyone followed Sharp to a platform. Mercury tried to ask his brother what was happening, but his eyes were dark and no reply came out his beak. Cricket didn't seem eager either. He acted as if he was about have life pour out of him. The striped Phoenix put his talon on the platform. "SHARMY!" Sharp yelled. Out of all directions, phoenixes poured out to make a crowd. They were watching the platform. Two of them wearing light armour everywhere but their wings, talons and tails placed bands around Cricket's wings. He didn't fight back. Mercury didn't have a clue what was happening. "Kill him," the leader snarled at the chicks. Amnesia lurched forwards yet a dark-grey wing pushed him back. The youngest sibling scowled. "Only your siblings!" Unsure on what to do, Mercury stood there. Kill meant no life. No life was bad. Terrible. Why would his father want that? Athena agreed with him. She stood back, her brown feathers staying in place. Sharp clearly wasn't pleased with this response. "Go on!" Athena stuttered, "M-Mars t-told us w-w-we should only k-k-kill in s-s-self defence..." "Oh Mars told us!" Sharp mocked,"Mars knows everything! Mars is so great!" With that, he swatted the young earth-storm Phoenix with a deadly talon. Blood leaked out the side of her head. "Hey!" Mercury shouted. He jumped in front of his sister. Amnesia's eyes widened as if he didn't believe Mercury would do that. "So loyal. So pathetic." Everyone's heads shot up. They all heard the whoosh. They all saw the flame start as it hit the red tent. Dancing gleefully, the fire rippled around the place it hit. Sharp's tent was burning. Chapter 6 The battle began. Sharp's crew launched into the air. Suddenly, Sight was filled with more colours than it ever had been. Mars turned to her companions. "You know how to fight, right?" she asked. "Try growing up in a place where it's illegal for your family to exist," Hyperbole replied bitterly,"If we stick to the plan we should be ok." Clear nodded,"Give me a shout if you're injured. Don't get too close to the fire, especially you Hyperbole." She rolled her eyes and poofed out. Rattling around his neck, Clear had a first aid kit. He was also a Cloud Phoenix, which meant he could heal some of his own wounds if they weren't too bad. Mars felt a rush of energy and nostalgia. She hadn't been able to fight like this in years. Last time, they'd fought off a rebellion. Unfortunately, her trainer, Skadi, had died. She'd been pretty old though; living a great life. That would've been her last battle anyway. Mars whispered a battle phrase she'd been taught many, many years ago. With that, she plummeted into the battlefield. Immediately, at least twenty phoenixes were after her. Luckily, their carefully-detailed plan would help. Mars positioned her tail into a thin line and sped up. Using quick wing bursts, she shot towards the toasting tents. The flames had increased significantly since she'd dropped the torch. Skadi really would've been proud. The screaming rainbow of Sharp's gang were close. They wouldn't be able to turn back. Mars closed her light brown wings. The flames licked at her sides, but her Earth-type feathers weakened the heat. Yells that would never be heard again echoed behind her. Only three phoenixes had survived. Mars had successfully struck down seventeen birds. If Hera ever heard of this, she'd be hopping about in jealousy! Mars whipped around to face the remaining opponents. They zoomed at her in a line. In response, Mars dipped down, turned on her back and lifted her talons. The red one in the middle yelped in pain as she sliced his stomach. He collapsed to the ground. The other two zipped at her from opposite directions. This time, she flew up. They crashed into each other. The copper Phoenix smashed her claws against their necks. The grass-coloured one screeched as she lost balance entirely. Her blue friend managed to stay in the air. She scratched at Mars' talons. The pain was quite terrible, though Mars did knock out her combatant. She hunted the battle for her companions. Clear was actually helping one of Sharp's side! Mars wondered if he was a traitor. She sped down. "Clear what are you doing?" she challenged. He stared calmly back. "This is Ruby. She wants to join us." The fiery-red phoenix gave her a strong look. Anger fizzled from her talons to her dark-green eyes. Her ear tufts flared slightly. "I have some scores to settle with Sharp. I'm not the only one. Find Cric-" "I'm here." A Phoenix coloured similar to a pale bee landed beside them. His serious eyes scanned them. They stopped on Mars. "You must be Mercury's mother. You look like him. Go find Sharp. My sons and I will deal with the battle." Mars was stunned to find how quickly he thought. Or was it quick... Had he been planning this? "How did you get out?" Ruby questioned him. "That Mercury kid undid my wing bands. He's not that bad for a child of Sharp's." Smiling to herself, Mars whirled into the flaming circle. Cinders from the very flammable tents rose into the sky. They stung her eyes and the smoke choked her lungs. The taste was disgusting, as well as making her tongue feel papery. It was hard enough to see without her eyes leaking. Where were her children? She couldn't catch a glimpse of them. They couldn't fly! They could be dead for all she knew! Dagger-like claws dug into her shoulders. Mars bit back the pain. She knew who it was without looking. Hatred filled her mind. Furious, she smacked her wings against Sharp's legs. The talons tightened. She could feel her skin open. It wasn't pleasant. "Don't struggle or it'll get worse." "Where are they?" she demanded. "Who?" Sharp teased cruelly,"Hyperbole? Clear? Probably dead." That wasn't something that she wanted to think about. Had Clear and... Hyperbole lived? Had Ruby and Cricket been lying? Don't think about it... "My children!" Mars rasped, coughing against the smoke. "My children," Sharp 'corrected'. "We're divorced, and I raised them." "Wait we didn't get divorce papers or see the law or-" Sharp stumbled through his sentence. "Interesting that you magically care about the law." A small shape appeared in the distance. Sharp leaped down. It was Amnesia. He walked up to them. "You're alive!" Mars breathed. He didn't answer. He glanced at Sharp instead. Despair shuddered in her heart. "I did what you asked. I pushed them into the fire." "Who?" Mars wailed. Sharp grinned,"Goodbye Mercury and Athena." Mars would've cried if the fire hadn't already made tears drip from her eyes. "You- you- you're not my son!" She somehow formed a sentence. Her talons trembled, which spread to her whole body. Her stony-grey eyes showed pure disappointment and sadness. Sharp was pleased by all of this. He told his son that he was going to watch something cool. He turned on the weeping mother. Powerfully, Sharp charged into her. Mars narrowly avoided being burnt. Sharp launched at her again. Sobbing intensely, Mars wept into her wings. She lay on the floor, her body raising before tumbling down. Sharp tripped over a wing and stumbled into the flames. A horrifying scream packed the air. Sharp was no more. Mars stood up. She was shocked. Had she accidentally killed someone? That was... Strange. Whenever she'd dreamed about murdering Sharp, she'd used her talons or beak. Not whimpering and tripping him up. Was this seriously how he died? "Get us out of here and I'll explain everything," Amnesia told her. Category:Forbidden Worlds